Adjustable square drain



pril 19, 966 J, C, WADE ETAL 3,246,582

ADJUSTABLE SQUARE DRAIN Filed Sept. l1, 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 1 l l l INVENTORS.

prl 19, 1966 J, C, WADE ETAL 3,246,582

ADJUSTABLE SQUARE DRAIN Filed Sept. l1 1962 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 INVENTORS.

BY e] Mw, W fg/Zfy April 19, 1966 J. c. WADE ETAL ADJUSTABLE SQUARE DRAIN 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept. l1, 1962 United States Patent O 3,246,532 ADJUSTABLE SQUARE DRAIN .lames Clare Wade, Hinsdale, and Roy R. Guge, Carpentersville, Ill., assignors to Wade, Inc., Franklin Park, Ill., a corporation of Virginia Filed Sept. 11, 1962, Ser. No. 222,911

6 Claims. (Cl. 94-33) This invention relates to improvements in adjustable drains .and more particularly to a novel adjustable floor drain having a square cross-sectional configuration.

It is known to provide an adjustable iloor drain of round or circular configuration. Such adjustable drains are advantageous yfor accommodating varying vertical distanoes between the drain body and the floor level, thereby facilitating installation of the drain in a concrete oor or the like. The vadjustability feature is particularly de- -sirable in situations, such .as in packing plant lloors, where the lloor thickness varies considerably dependent upon the area in which the drain is installed.

Various expedients have been used to provide the desired adjustability in the `case kof round or circular drains. For example, a screw thread connection may be provided between the drain body and an inner adjustable collar. Matching inclined plane or cam portions have also been employed. However, none of these arrangements are feasible in the .case of a drain having a noncircular or square coniiguration. Nevertheless, there are certain applications which require a square drain. For example, in a tile oor it is desirable to be able to omit one or more tiles to provide a square opening7 for receiving the floor drain without special cutting operations.

Accordingly, a primary object of the invention is to provide novel adjustment means for a square door drain or the like.

A Ifurther object of the invention is to provide a novel vertically yadjustable square iloor ydrain having a predetermined number of adjusted positions with adequate bearing support in each of said positions.

Another object of the invention is to provide a novel square iloor drain `construction having four positions of vertical adjustment of an inner collar relative to an outer drain body.

Still another object .of the invention drain body and a square collar suoli that the .collar has a plurality of bearing supports on the body in each adjusted position thereof.

An additional object of the invention is to provide a novel adjustable floor drain construction including a drain body with 4a square opening and a square collar iitted in said opening, whereby the collar has a bearing support at each of its four sides in all adjusted positions of the drain.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the subsequent detailed description taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a top plan view of an assembled yand installed drain, comprising one specific embodiment of the invention, with the adjustable drain collar in its lowermost adjusted position;

FIG. 2 is a vertical sectional View taken along the line 2--2 of FIG. 1 with the adjustable collar of the drain shown in elevation;

FIG. 3 is a top plan view, similar to FIG. 1, but showing the drain body only;

FIG. 4 is a fragmentary enlarged sectional view taken along the line 4-4 of FIG. l but with the drain collar in an adjusted position just above its lowermost position;

FIG. 5 is a view similar to FIG. 4 but showing the drain collar in it-s uppermost adjusted position;

3,246,582 Patented Apr. 19, 1966 FIG. 6 is a v-iew similar to FIG. 4 but showing the drain collar in an adjusted position just below its upper-y most position;

FIG. 7 is a View similar to FIG. 4 but showing the drain collar in its lowermost adjusted posit-ion; and

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along the line 8 8 of FIG. 1 vand showing the drain collar in its lowermost adjusted position.

Referring particularly to FIGS. 1 3 of the drawings, the floor drain of the present invention comprises a drain body 11 having a cup-like upper end portion 12 of square cross-sectional configuration and `a tubular outlet portion 13 at its lower end which is of conventional circular configuration. The lower end =portion 13 comprises a soil pipe type drain outlet, but a threaded connect-ion (not shown) may also be used.

In the illustrated embodiment the square portion. 12

ICC

of the drain body 11 is provided with a laterally extend-- ing peripheral flange 14 extending around all sides of the drain body for catching seepage. ing ring 16, also having a square conguration, is received in the ange 14 for clamp-ing a waterproof membrane or sheathing 17 therebetween. However, it will be understood that in certain installations the clamping ring 16 and membrane 17 may be omitted. The membra-ne 17 when used may extend beneath the floor 15 and outwardly from the drain for conveying seepage in the usual manner. Each of the lfour sides of Ithe drain Ibody portion 12 is provided with a tapered groove structure 18 which receives ,a clamping lug 19 having a complementary wedge-shaped configuration. Adjusting screws 21 are mounted Yon the lugs 19 and engage the ring 16 so that upon tightening of the screws 21 the lugs 19 are urged upwardly into wedging relation in the groove structures 18 and the ring 16 is urged downwardly toward the ange 14 for clamping the membrane 17 therebetween. It is to be understood that the adjustability features of the invention hereinafter described are 4also applicable in the case of a drain body which does not have a flange, such as the flange 14, and the associated clamping arrangement.

The drain body 11 may also be provided with corner v bos-ses 22 carrying a plurality of adjustable leveling screws 23 which are adapted to coact with a concrete subsurface 24 `or the like `for insuring the desired vertical alignment of the drain.

An adjustable square .collar 26 is provided which has a laterally extending rim 27 at its upper end and depending sides 28, 29, 31, `and 32 (FIGS. 4-7) having a loose telescoping sliding lit within the upper square end portion 12 .of the drain body 11. The rim 27 of the .adjustable collar v26 is for-med with an inner shoulder 33 (FIGS. 4-8) on which a removable slotted grate 34 (FIG. 1) is supported. lFor convenience of illustration, the grate 34 has been omitted from the sectional views in FIGS. 4-8. Although not shown in the drawings, it should be under* stood that a conventional bottom ape-rtured sediment bucket may also be removably supported within the collar 26 if desired.

Because of the square configuration of the upper drain body portion 12 and the corresponding square conliguration of the telescoping adjustable collar 26, it will be appreciated that the collar 26 may be received within the drain body in any one of four different positions or orientations. Adjustment of the collar between the various positions is obtained by lit-ting the collar from the drain body, rotating the collar until the desired position is reached, and reinserting the collar in the drain body. As hereinafter described, the inner walls of the drain body portion 12 are provided with a plurality of bearing pads A clamping or Ifiashj or supports adapted to be engaged by the bottom edges of the sides of the`collar26for supporting the collar in each of its differently oriented positions in the drain body. However, the four lsides of the .collar 26 are provided with cutouts or notches extending upwardly from the bottom edges of the collar and correlated with respect to the location of the, bearing pads on the walls of the drain body 11 so that each of the four sides of the collar 26 is supported at a different elevation for each of its four oriented positions relative to the drain body.4l Although in theillustrated embodiment the bearing pads are provided on the drain body and the cutouts or notches are provided on the sides of the adjustable collar, it will be understood that the reverse arrangement could also be employed wherein bearing pads would be provided on the adjustable collar and cooperating grooves of different depths formed in the walls of the drain body.

Referring particularly to FIG. 3, the upright bearing pads projecting inwardly from the four sides of the drain body .portion 12 are designated at 36, 37, 38 and 39. As will be recognized, each of these bearing pads is located at a different relative lateral position non-centrally of its respective side of the drain body so that if the four sides of the drain body were aligned in parallel relation, there would be no lateral overlapping ofthe respective pads. Thus, the bearing pads 36 and 37 are disposed non-symmetrically and to one side of the center lines of their respective drain body side. Bearing Lpads 38 and 39 are located non-symmetrically approximately halfway between the centers of their respective drain body sides and a cornmon corner junction therebetween. As will be evident from FIGS. 4-8, each of the bearing pads 36, 37, 38 and 39 has the same height so that the upper ledges or support surfaces thereof lie in substantially a common horizontal plane. Also, as best seen in FIG. 3, each bearing pad has the same width.

In order to provide the desired four'dierent adjusted heights for the collar 26, the bottom edge of each of the collar sides 28, 29, 31, and 32 is notched or contoured in a predetermined configuration so as to provide four different horizontal bearing surfaces adapted to seat on selected ones of the pads 36, 37, 38, and 39, dependent upon theorientation of the collar 26 in the drain body 111. These edge bearing surfaces on the. four sides of the collar 26 may be arranged in any desired incremental sequence. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, the uniform heights of the pads 36, 37, 38 and 39 and the dimensions of the cut-outs are coordinated so that in the four different adjusted positions ofthe collar 26 the distance between the upper surface of the rim portion 27 and theV uppermost edge of the flange 14 will be three, three and one-half, four, and four and oneahalf inches. Obviously, any desired range of elevations may be provided.

In FIG. 7, corresponding to the lowermost adjusted position of the collar 26, `the collar side 28 is notched at its lower edge to` provide stepped bearing edges 41, 42, 43, and 44. In FIG. 4, corresponding to the next higher adjusted position of the collar 26, the collar side 32 is notched at its lower edge to provide stepped bearing edges 46, 47, 48, and 49. In FIG. 6, corresponding to the next higher adjusted position of the collar 26, the collar side 31 is notched at its lower edge to provide stepped bearing edges 51, 52, 53, and 54. In FIG. 5, corresponding to the uppermost adjusted positioned of the collar 26, the collar side 29 is notched at its lower edge to provide stepped 'bearing edges 56, 57, 58, andl 59.

Each bearing edge on any one of the collar sides 28, 29, 31, and 32 has an equivalent bearing edge at the same elevation on each of the other three collar sides. Thus, the stepped bearing edges are arranged in sets of four lying in vertically spaced horizontal planes. For convenience,

the equivalent bearing edges having the sameelevations above the Ibottom of the collar are tabulated as follows:

Uppermost Next Below Next Above Lowermost;

Collar Side Bearing Upperrnost Lowermost Bearing Edge Bearing Bearing Edge Edge Edge 42 43 44 41 4G 47 48 49 54 5l 52 53 58 59 5G 57 A comparison of FIGS. 4-7 will show that the respective bearing edges on the collar sides are arranged in endto-end relation in a predetermined sequence which varies in a regular manner Ibetween adjacent sides of the collar. Thus, in IFIG. 4 showing collar side 32, the bearing edges 46, 47, 48 and `49 are arranged in stepwise descending sequence from left to right with the uppermost bearing edge 46 at the extreme left and the lowermost bearing edge 49 at the extreme right. The next adjacent collar side 31 is seen in FIG. 6 from which it will be apparent that the same left-to-right sequence Ihas been maintained as in FIG. 4 except that the steps defined bythe respective bearing edges have been shifted one position to the left laterally of the `drain body. Thus, in FIG. 6 the bearing edges from left to right on collar side 31 are 51, 52, 53, `and 54 which correspond respectively to the equivalent bearing edges 47, 48, 49, and 46 of collar side 32. Progressing to the next adjacent collar side 29, as shown in FIG. 5, the sequence has again been shifted one position to the left with the 'bearing edges from left to right being designated at 56, 57, 58, and VS9 and corresponding to the equivalent lbearing edges 48, 49, 46, and 47, respectively, of collar side 32 and also corresponding to the equivalent bearing edges 52, 53, 54, and 51, respectively, of collar side 31. Coming finally to the next adjacent collar side 28, as shown in FIG. 7, the sequence has again lbeen shifted one position to the left so that the bearing edges 41, 42, 43, and 44 of side 28 correspond tot he equivalent bearing edges 49, 46, 47, and 48, respectively, of collar side 32 and to the equivalent bearing edges 53, 54, 51, and 52, respectively, of collar side 31 and also to the equivalent bearing edges 57, 58, 59, and 56, respectively, of collar side 29. Returning to side 32 again, it will be seen that the ybearing edge sequence again shifts one position to the left as above-described.

When the drain collar 26 is in its lowermost adjusted position (FIGS. 7 and 8), the collar is supported in stable position by engagement of the equivalent bearing edges 42, 58, 54, and 46 on the four sides of the collar with the respective bearing pads 36, 37, 38 and 39 on the drain body. In addition, the outwardly projecting rim 27 of the collar 26 rests on the upper edge of the drain body portion 12. In the illustrated embodiment, this position of the collar 26 may correspond to a distance of three inches between the upper surface of the rim 27 and the upper edge of the flange 14. l

When the collar 26 is in its next higher adjusted position (FIG. 4), which may correspond to a distance of three and one-half inches between the rim 27 and the flange 14, the collar 26 is supported at each of its four sides by engagement of the equivalent bearing edges 47, 43, 59, and 51 with the respective bearing pads 36, 37, 38, and 39. In this position additional support and stability for the collar 26 are provided by means of a pair of diagonally opposed corner pads 61 and 62 (FIG. 3) located adjacent the lower end of the drain body portion 12 and engaged by a pair of depending corner posts 63 and 64 on the collar 26.

In the next higher position of the collar 26 corresponding, for example, to a distance of four inches between therim 27 and the liange 14 (FIG. 6), the collar 26 has a stable four-point support by engagement of the equivalent bearing edges 52, 48, 44, and 56 with the respective bearing pads 36, 37, 38, and 39.

In the uppermost position of the collar 26 corresponding, for example, to a distance of four and one-half inches between the rim 27 and the flange 14 (FIG. 5), the equivalent bearing edges S7, 53, 49, and 51 rest on the respective bearing pads 36, 37, 38, and 39 to provide the desired stable four-point support.

Thus, it will be seen that, in all adjusted positions of the collar 26 relative to the drain body 11, the collar has an effective stable support at each of its four sides by reason of the coordinated locat-ion of the bearing pads on the drain body relative to the notched bearing edges at the bottom of the collar 26. In addition, by reason of the nonsymmetrical and non-overlapping locations of the bearing pads at the four sides of the drain body, it will be seen that the collar is prevented from tilting or cooking in any of its adjusted positions. Moreover, in each adjusted position of the collar 26, the four bearing pads of uniform height are engaged by a set of four bearing edges which are also of uniform elevation above the bottom of the collar 26. For convenience, the above-described positions of engagement between the bearing pads and the bearing edges of the collar are summarized in the following table:

Each of the four sides of the drain body portion 12 is provided with the customary pair of bi-level weep holes located one above the other just above the flange 14. Thus, as seen particularly in FIG. 2, the lower weep holes are designated at 66 and the upper weep holes are designated at 67. In this instance, the four sets of weep holes 66, 67 are located symmetrically to one side of the centers of the respective sides of the drain .body portion 12. To avoid obstruction of the weep holes 66, 67 at the side of the drain body having the pad 36, a vertical groove or recess 68 extends downwardly from the upper edge of the pad 36 a sufficient distance to clear the lower weep hole 66. In a generally similar manner, the four sides 28, 29, 31, and 32 of the collar 26 are also provided with upwardly extending grooves or recesses 69, 71, 72, 'and 73, respectively, so that the upper weep holes 67 are always clear and unobstructed regardless of the adjusted position of the collar 26. Thus, seepage collected by the membrane 17 will flow into the flange 14 and thence through the weep holes 66 or 67 and downwardly into the drain body 11.

It will be lappreciated that other geometric arrangements of bearing pads and notched collar edges may also be employed to achieve the desired four positions of adjustment of the collar 26 relative to the drain body 11, but in any case each of the four sides of the collar must have a stable support on the corresponding side of the drain body for every adjusted position of the collar.

Although the invention has been described herein with particular reference to a specific structural embodiment, it is to be understood that various modifications and equivalent structures may be resorted to without departing from the scope of the invention as defined in the appended claims.

We claim:

1. An adjustable drain comprising a generally tubular drain body having a four-sided portion with a square opening therethrough, an upright support pad projecting inwardly from each of the four sides of said drain body portion, said pads being of uniform height and each being located in a different relative lateral posit-ion on its respective side and non-centrally thereof, a peripheral flange extending outwardly from said drain body portion around all sides thereof and spaced below the upper end of said portion, a generally tubular four-sided collar with a square opening therethrough, said collar having a loose telescopic fit in said portion of said drain body, and a peripheral rim at the upper end of said collar overlying the upper end of said drain .body portion and adapted to support a removable grate, the bottom edges of said collar at each side thereof being cut-out to provide at each side of said collar four bearing edges arranged in end-to-end relation at respectively different distances above the bottom of said collar and each of said bearing edges on any one side of said collar having an equivalent bearing edge at the same distance above the bottom of the collar on each of the other sides of the collar, said bearing edges being spaced in coordinated relation with the spacing of said pads so that said collar is adapted to be supported on said d-rain body in stable non-tiltable relation at four different elevated distances between said rim and said flange, dependent upon the orientation of said collar in said drain body portion, by selectiveengagement of one of said bearing edges on each side of said collar with one of said pads.

2. The structure of claim 1 further characterized in that the sides of said drain body portion are provided with weep holes above said flange, and said pads and said bearing edges are provided with recesses for clearing said weep holes in all adjusted positions of the collar whereby said weep holes are always free and unobstructed.

3. An adjustable drain comprising a drain body having a four-sided upper end portion defining a square opening, an adjustable drain collar having a four-sided square tubular portion loosely receivable in telescopic relation in said opening and adapted to be selectively fitted therein in any one of four differently oriented positions of said collar relative to said body, means on one of said portions defining four support surfaces lying in substantially a common plane and each located in a different relative lateral position on one of the sides of said one portion, and means on each of the four sides of the other of said portions defining a plurality of stepped bearing edges arranged so that each bearing edge lies in substantially a common plane with a bearing edge on each of the other sides of said other portion so as to provide a plurality of sets of four bearing edges lying in vertically spaced planes, the location of said bearing edges being coordinated with the location of said support surfaces so that the respective bearing edges of each of said sets are selectively engageable with said support surfaces in each of said differently oriented positions of said collar relative to said body, whereby said collar is adapted to have a `stable four-point support at a plurality of different elevated distances relative to said body corresponding to said differently oriented positions.

4. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that said stepped bearing edges are arranged in end-to-end relation in the same relative sequence at each side of said other portion except that the sequence is shifted one position as between adjacent sides.

5. The structure of claim 3 further characterized in that the sides of said body portion are provided with a plurality of pads projecting inwardly therefrom to define said support surfaces and the sides of said collar portion are provided at their bottom edges with upwardly extending cutout portions to define said bearing edges.

6. In structure of claim 5 further characterized in that said body portion is provided with a peripheral flange extending outwardly therefrom and spaced below the upper end thereof, said collar is provided with a peripheral rim overlying the upper end of said body portion, the sides of said -body portion are provided with weep holes above said flange, and said pads and said bearing edges are provided with recesses for clearing said weep holes in all 7 8 positions of said collar relative to said body whereby said 2,311,654 2/ 1943 Filkins 210-166 Weep holes are always free and unobstructed. 2,481,312 9/ 1949 Kirschner 4-287 2,519,843 8/1950 Matheis 210-165 References Cited by the Examiner 2,607,434 8/ 1952 Sisk 210-165 UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,961,914 11/1960 Young 210-166 X 2 993 600 7/1961 Ressler 210-164 2/1898 Dorr 94--34 12/1899 Banwen 94 34 3,037,631 6/1962 Drehrnann 210-165 12/ 1901 Pillsbury 94-34 8/1905 Kees 21o-164 CHARLES E. O CONNELL, Primary Examzner. 9/1926 Hirshstein 210 163 1() RICHARD W. COOKE, JR., Examzner. 

3. AN ADJUSTABLE DRAIN COMPRISING A DRAIN BODY HAVING A FOUR-SIDED UPPER END PORTION DEFINING A SQUARE OPENING, AN ADJUSTABLE DRAIN COLLAR HAVING A FOUR-SIDED SQUARE TUBULAR PORTION LOOSELY RECEIVED IN TELESCOPIC RELATION IN SAID OPENING AND ADAPTED TO BE SELECTIVELY FITTED THEREON IN ANY ONE OF FOUR DIFFERENTLY ORIENTED POSITIONS OF SAID COLLAR RELATIVE TO SAID BODY, MEANS ON ONE OF SAID PORTIONS DEFINING FOUR SUPPORT SURFACES LYING IN SUBSTANTIALLY A COMMON PLANE AND EACH LOCATED IN A DIFFERENT RELATIVE LATERAL POSITION ON ONE OF THE SIDES OF SAID ONE PORTION, AND MEANS ONE EACH OF THE FOUR SIDES OF THE OTHER OF SAID PORTIONS DEFINING A PLURALITY OF STEPPED BEARING EDGES ARRANGED SO THAT EACH BEARING EDGE LIES IN SUBSTANTIALLY A COMMON PLANE WITH A BEARING EDGE ON EACH OF THE OTHER SIDES OF SAID OTHER PORTION SO AS TO PROVIDE A PLURALITY OF SETS OF FOUR BEARING EDGES LYING IN VERTICALLY SPACED PLANES, THE LOCATION OF SAID BEARING EDGES BEING COORDINATED WITH THE LOCATION OF SAID SUPPORT SURFACES SO THAT THE RESPECTIVE BEARING EDGES OF EACH OF SAID SETS ARE SELECTIVELY ENGAGEABLE WITH SAID SUPPORT SURFACES IN EACH OF SAID DIFFERENTLY ORIENTED POSITIONS OF SAID COLLAR RELATIVE TO SAID BODY, WHEREBY SAID COLLAR IS ADAPTED TO HAVE A STABLE FOUR-POINT SUPPORT AT A PLURALITY OF DIFFERENT ELEVATED DISTANCES RELATIVE TO SAID BODY CORRESPONDING TO SAID DIFFERENTLY ORIENTED POSITIONS. 